Fall to Pieces
by xxhaveyoueverbeeninlovexx
Summary: When Rachel meets Kelsi when they become roommates at Julliard they bring their friends together to meet each other. See where their lives take this big happy group of friends. Summary sucks but story is so much better!
1. Chapter 1

Fall to Pieces

Chapter 1

Rachel looked up at the big building in front of her. Sure enough if you looked up in big letters were the words the Juilliard school. She felt a smile tug at her lips as she repeated the words over and over in her mind. She had made it. She got accepted to the top performing arts schools in America. This is where every little girl who sang or played an instrument or danced wanted to go. This was the hardest school to get into and she did it. Rachel Berry ,out of all the people in the world who could sing, made it into Juilliard.

She looked around at her dorm room. She had started putting what Kurt called ugly clothes into the closet when her phone started ringing saying she had received a text message. She flipped it open. It was from Kurt.

_Hey Rachel I am in my dorm room with Blaine right now. We will all meet at star bucks later. This place is everything I dreamed it would be!_

_Love you talk to you later_

_-Kurt_

As she started typing away on her phone she heard the door open. This must be her roommate. She started to smile hoping she would get someone like herself.

"Hello?" A small voice asked as they entered the room. Rachel walked closer to the doorway so she could meet her. A small girl with curly brown hair and glasses appeared in front of her.

"Hi you must be my roommate. I'm Rachel Berry soon to be Broadway legend." She shook the girls hand.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Kelsi Nielsen. I am here to major in music." To Rachel she was quite and didn't talk much. Great just what she wanted, a silent roommate.

"So you dream big. That's great Rachel it will get you far." Kelsi said. She was sitting on her bed across from Rachel. They were getting to know each other.

"Thank you. It is amazing you want to be a musician. What instrument do you play?"

"Piano. I want to be an accompanist for some big name someday."

Rachel smiled at her before she replied. "Seems like you have plans for yourself also. You could start accompanying me in my solos if you would like."

"We could give it a try. Sure." Then her phone vibrated. She picked it up and looked at the text before she replied.

"Who was it?" Rachel asked as Kelsi put her phone away.

"Oh just my friend Sharpay asking where I want to go out to eat tonight. You need to meet her. She is kind of like you."

"I would love to meet her sometime. So is Sharpay in New York for a visit?"

"No she and my other friends are attending colleges in New York. Sharpay along with my boyfriend Ryan got accepted into Juilliard also. Ryan and Sharpay are twins."

"That is so weird. I have some friends going here also. Maybe we could all have lunch together one day."

"You bring all of your friends that are attending college in New York and I'll bring mine. Sound like a plan?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." They smiled at each other before Kelsi got another text message and went downstairs to get her car and meet Sharpay and Ryan at a restaurant.

Gabriella looked around for Taylor. She found her still taking pictures of the building. "Come on Tay! We need to go get our room assignments." she signed as Taylor saw her.

"Ok lets go." Taylor signed back. Yes Gabriella was deaf. She was born deaf. And Taylor knew sign language. The whole gang knew sign language. It was the only way to communicate with her. It was a nice thing to know.

Columbia University, one of the highest ranked school for law, was the building that was leaving a growing smile on Gabriella and Taylor's face's. They walked in and immediately went to get their dorm room numbers. They looked at each other and smiled as they saw the were sharing a room.

"Come on roommate lets go check out our dorm." Taylor said and Gabriella followed her towards the dorms.

They looked around the room and started unpacking. They got some food at a close by Chinese restaurant and went back to their dorm.

Gabriella looked up at the ceiling as she flopped down on her bed.

"Tay can you believe we are attending Columbia? We are going to be lawyers." Gabriella looked at Taylor to see her smiling.

"I know Gabs. I can't wait to win my first case."

They got ready for bed still talking about their first day of classes. Their life was going to turn out amazing.

Chad and Troy walked into the vacant room with their suitcases in tow. Chad turned the light on and they looked around at the room. They put their suitcases on the bed. They heard a knock on the door and Chad went to open it.

"Hey is this room number 104?" Chad looked at the guy standing in front of him. He was like an Amazon. He had to be taller than six foot. He looked at him with an confused expression on his face.

"Umm… Troy is this room 104?" Chad turned to look at Troy.

"Why don't you two geniuses look on the wall beside the door." Troy rolled his eyes at their stupidity.

Chad walked out the door and looked for a number. He looked back at the guy that was glancing at the piece of paper in his hand quizzical.

"Yeah this is room 104." Chad walked back in the room leaving the door open.

"Awesome." The guy walked in the room. He put his bags down on the open bed.

"What's your name man. I'm Troy and this is Chad."

"I'm Finn." He shook Troy's extended hand.

"Blaine I told you that you could have that bed and I will take the one by the window." Kurt tried saying calmly.

"I know bu-" A knock on the door interrupted Blaine. Blaine sighed and went to open the door.

"Hi. I'm your new roommate." The blonde haired guy told Blaine. He extended his hand and Blaine took it. They both walked into the room.

"Kurt this is our roommate."

"I'm Ryan." He shook Kurt's hand and then started unpacking his things while Kurt and Blaine looked at one another with a quizzical look.

A few minutes later Ryan turned around to go put some things in the closet. He caught Blaine and Kurt staring at him.

"What's wrong?" Ryan asked as Kurt opened his mouth to say something.

"Ok what's the deal?" Kurt said bluntly.

"I don't quite understand what you mean."

"Just tell us we don't care. You can be open."

"Tell you what?"

"Come on you can be open here."

"Open with what?"

"Your sexuality. Come on we know your gay."

Ryan looked at Kurt for a second before actually processing his words.

"I'm not gay Kurt."

"Yes you are."

"And why would you think that?"

"No straight man has rhinestone covered hats." Ryan looked down at his hats he had in his hands.

"Well Kurt I can assure you I am not gay."

"I know you are. I have a sense for these types of things."

"Listen I'm not gay."

"What kind of coffee is that?" Kurt said motioning to the star bucks coffee he had gotten earlier with Kelsi and Sharpay.

"Large non-fat mocha. Why?"

"That's my coffee order. You are definitely gay." He looked at Blaine.

"Kurt a certain coffee order doesn't make you gay."

"Well then prove that you aren't gay."

"I don't have to prove anything to you." Ryan said. Then he left the room.

"Kurt. Why didn't you just stop when he told you he wasn't gay?"

"Because he is he just is confused. Just like you were."

"Hello?" Mercedes opened the door to her room. She walked further in to find pink suitcases scattered everywhere. And then her eyes met a girl covered in pink. Literally.

"Hi I'm Sharpay Evans. Actress, harries, soon to be Broadway legend. We must be roommates." Sharpay extended her hand. Mercedes shook it and looked at her. It was like Rachel Berry was standing right in front of her.

"I'm Mercedes. Which bed do you want?" They both looked at the two beds set up against the wall.

They picked out their beds, unpacked, then started talking.

"So what are you here for?" Mercedes asked as she laid down on her bed.

"I'm waiting for my big break on Broadway. But while that is in progress I am attending school here."

"I don't think you can find a better place to go to school. This is as good as it gets."

"What about you?"

"I'm here, like everyone else that sings, to be a professional singer."

"On Broadway?"

"No just one of those big names. A legend like Aretha Franklin."

"Well if you are planning on being like Aretha than you must be good. Lets hear something."

"Oh umm.. Not right now."

"Come on I'll sing with you."

"Ok. What do you want to sing?"

"Chain of fools."

They started signing and Mercedes phone went off.

"Hello?"

"Mercedes I was going to ask if you wanted to have lunch Thursday afternoon with my roommates friends and all of ours."

"Sure. Can my roommate come also."

"Sure. Who is she."

"Her name is Sharpay."

"I think my roommate mentioned a Sharpay. Kelsi don't you know a girl named Sharpay?"

"Sharpay do you know a girl named Kelsi?" sharpays eyes lit up.

"Is she sharing a room with your friend?"

Mercedes nodded.

"Yes I know her. She is my friend and accompanist." Mercedes relayed this information to Rachel.

"Ok Mercedes I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok night Rachel."

"Goodnight." They hung up.

"Finn I told Mercedes that we would go to lunch with everyone Thursday."

"Yeah Rach told me the same thing."

"I'm hungry now aren't you?"

"Yes."

"The only problem is I don't know how to cook anything." Sam heard a knock on the door and then a voice say hello. "I gotta go Finn. My roommates here."

"Ok see you later man."

"Hi I'm Sam."

"Zeke."

"I was going to go downstairs and get something to eat would you like to come?"

"I can cook us something if you want."

"You know how to cook?"

"That's what I'm majoring in. So yes."

"Ok what can you make?"

"Good night Kelsi." Rachel said as she got situated in her bed.

"Night Rachel." Kelsi turned off her lap and they both drifted off to sleep. Ready to meet each others friends Thursday.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kurt, Ryan and Blaine were up and heading to the restaurant to meet everyone. Ryan had come back that night and him and Kurt had worked everything out.

"Are you excited to get everyone together and meet?" Ryan turned to Blaine and asked.

"Very. How about you?"

"Same." They both turned to Kurt.

"Oh I'm thrilled as well. It's a chance to start new friendships." As they all walked into the café they saw the room they had reserved. It had French doors and a big table able to seat up to sixteen people. They opened the doors and sitting at the table already were two girls and one guy. They looked up as the three entered the room.

"Hello." Blaine spoke first.

"I'm Sharpay and this is Taylor. You already know Sam I'm guessing?" She asked.

"Yes. Hey man." Blaine smiled. Sam did the same.

"I'm Blaine."

"I am Kurt and _you _probably already know Ryan."

Sharpay smiled. "Yes he is my twin brother. It is nice to meet you."

Almost everyone had arrived and had already began chattering. As if they had all done this together multiple times before.

Although two people were missing. Rachel and Kelsi.

"Rachel it doesn't matter how you say hello to all of them. Now come on we are late."

"Yes but Kelsi people make first impressions of you in the first three seconds of meeting you." Kelsi rolled her eyes and pulled Rachel out of the dorm room.

They opened the French doors a few minutes later. Everyone looked up and Finn smiled at Rachel.

"Kels what took you so long? Did you all travel to China or something?" Taylor asked as she stood to hug Kelsi.

Kelsi laughed. "No we just got a little delayed." She took her seat next to Ryan. Rachel sat down next to Finn as he put an arm around her.

"Practicing your hello voice?" Rachel looked up at Finn.

"No. I was simply picking out an outfit to wear."

"Mhmm."

"I was."

Finn gave her a look and she rolled her eyes. "Ok I was practicing my hello voice."

Rachel looked around the table. She would like to consider herself an observant person. Everyone was in their own conversations with their new friends. Yet she noticed one girl was staring at her menu silently. She was to preoccupied with her order that she didn't bother to say hello when they walked in.

Rachel got up and went to the girls seat.

"Hi I'm Rachel." Rachel waited for the girl to turn around and smile; she didn't.

"Hello? I am talking to you." _This is very rude, _Rachel thought. She waited a minute to see if she would turn around. When nothing happened she tapped the boys shoulder that was sitting next to this rude girl.

"Is this your girlfriend?" Rachel asked once he turned around.

"Yes." He looked at Gabriella who was still intensely looking at her menu. He looked back up at the girl.

"I am Troy." He held his hand out. She shook it reluctantly.

"Rachel. You have a very rude girlfriend." By this time the conversations had settled down and everyone had heard Rachel's comment to Troy.

"Excuse me?"

"I said you had a rude girlfriend."

"May I ask why you say that? She hasn't even met you yet."

"I said hello to her and she didn't answer me. Your girlfriend is rude."

Troy smiled at the first comment. He was caught up now.

Everyone was silent.

"Why don't you tap her on the shoulder."

"Fine. Like that is going to change anything." Rachel rolled her eyes and did as she was asked.

Gabriella turned around and smiled.

"Hi. I'm Gabriella." She said as she signed also. Rachel just stared at her.

"What's wrong?" Gabriella asked.

"Oh." Rachel looked at Troy. "I apologize."

Troy smiled. "It's ok. But you might want to apologize to Gabriella."

"Will you interpreter?"

"She can read lips. But yes I will."

Rachel turned to Gabriella and smiled.

"Hi I'm Rachel." As Gabriella saw Troy interpreting in sign language she held up her index finger to Rachel. She did not like interpreters unless she was in a group of people. Or she was tired and didn't want to try and figure out what someone was saying. Other than that she liked to read lips. She was good at it and she didn't like an interpreter if she was talking one on one with someone.

"Sorry one second." She told Rachel. Gabriella turned to Troy and started signing. But she didn't say it aloud; she didn't want the other group of friends to know everything she said.

"Troy stop interpreting. I would like to talk to Rachel alone. I am just fine reading her lips. Go talk to your new roommate or something I'm fine ok?"

"Ok. I was just trying to help."

"Thank you but I don't want it right now. Maybe some other time." Troy nodded and sat down next to Chad once again.

Everyone started talking again. Gabriella turned back to Rachel.

"Sorry."

"No problem. So.. Well I need to apologize. I said hello to you a minute ago and you didn't answer. Well I thought you were just being rude and I got mad and told Troy you were rude. I apologize. I didn't know you were deaf." Rachel yelled.

Gabriella just stared at her lips. She couldn't make out many words she was talking so fast. She was worse than when she talked to Sharpay the first time they met. Since then she hadn't encountered a fast talker. Everyone talked their normal speed and she kept up with what they were saying.

_Ok then I just need to work twice as hard to keep up, _she thought.

"Again I am sorry." Rachel yelled again. Gabriella nodded.

"It's ok." She said. She didn't know what had just been said from her lips but she would find out later. Rachel sat beside Gabriella with Taylor on the other side of her. Gabriella went back to looking at the menu.

Taylor tapped Rachel on the shoulder.

"Hi I'm Taylor." She shook Rachel's hand.

"I'm Rachel."

"Rachel yelling at Gabriella doesn't make her hear you."

"Right." Rachel blushed.

"It's all ok. But next time try to talk a normal speed. Its hard for her to understand like that."

"That was a normal speed."

"Try to make it slower then."

"I'll work on it. That was my first time talking to a deaf person." Rachel smiled.

Taylor internally rolled her eyes. "Yes it is pretty cool."

"So Gabriella what do you want…." Rachel's voice trailed off as she remembered she couldn't hear her. She tapped her shoulder and Gabriella looked up.

"You have been looking at that menu for a long time. Have you decided what you want?" She asked.

"Decided?" Gabriella pondered aloud. That was what she got from reading her lips.

Taylor tapped Gabriella on the shoulder and started signing and talking.

"Gabi she said "You have been looking at that menu for a long time. Have you decided what you want?"." Gabriella looked at Rachel and nodded.

"Yes, I want a steak and mashed potatoes. What do you want?" Gabriella did not sign she just spoke.

Rachel did not understand the last part of her sentence because of her broken speech. Her eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"She asked what you wanted to eat Rachel." Kurt told her.

"Oh." She turned back to Gabriella. "Yes I want a salad."

Sam looked at Gabriella from across the table. He remembered how to sign his name from second grade. That was about it though. The only person he could not communicate with was her.

"Taylor." He said.

Taylor looked up and smiled at Sam.

"Yes."

"Umm how do I sign 'Hi my name is Sam.'?" Taylor showed him.

"But Sam she already knows your name."

"I know I just want to talk to her. That's the only way to communicate with her."

"No she can read your lips." Troy said as he listened to this conversation. He had one arm across the back of Gabriella's chair. The other was deleting his emails on his phone.

"I know but she probably gets tired of having to work so hard at that. This is her language. I want to get into her world." Troy nodded and tapped Gabriella's shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled.

She started to talk and sign. "How did you like your food?"

"I liked it what about you?"

"It was good."

"Hey Gabs someone wants to tell you something."

"Ok who?" Gabriella looked across the table until her eyes fell upon the blonde boy named Sam that was smiling.

"Hi my name is Sam." He spoke as he signed.

Gabriella smiled. He knew sign language?

"You know sign language?" She asked excitedly.

"No only that. Taylor taught me that."

"Oh. Well that's ok. Now you can go up to people and sign to them."

"Yeah I bet they would be thinking I'm some creepy hobo or something."

"Creepy what?"

"Hobo."

"What does HB stand for?"

"No Gabs he said hobo." Troy signed to her.

"Oh. Sorry."

"No big deal you just misheard me." Rachel's eyes widened at Sam's statement.

"No wait I didn't mean that. I-" Gabriella didn't understand the words that were coming out of his mouth. It was too fast for her to figure out. So she just smiled.

The gang looked at Gabriella to see what she would say. Gabriella looked around at all of her friends, new and old, and everyone was staring at her.

"What?" She asked.

"I didn't mea-" Sam's sentence got cut off by Sharpay signing to Gabriella and talking.

"Nothing Gabs. You just misunderstood his sentence." She nodded and pulled her phone out. Maybe she should text her mom. She hadn't done that since she had gotten off the plane.

While Gabriella was preoccupied with her phone Sharpay turned to Sam.

"That wouldn't have hurt her feelings but it was just a slip up."

"I didn't mean it."

"And we all know that. Its ok."

Through the months the group of friends had become very close. They did everything together.

And as of right now Blaine and Finn were walking the streets of new York with Gabriella. Most everyone else had classes that afternoon. So as of right now it was just the three of them.

The new group of friends had been working on their sign language. They actually liked talking like that. The were far from fluent but they were working on it.

"So do you guys want lunch?" Blaine asked Finn and Gabriella.

"You know I do."

"What about you Gabi?" Everyone had decided that Gabriella was to long to say so they called her what everyone else had.

"What about burgers?"

"Ok lets go."

The three of them went to a burger shack and were eating when Gabriella's phone vibrated. She wiped her hands and got her phone out.

_Hey Brie. I'm out of class where are you? I looked in your dorm and your not there. Text me._

_Love you_

_-Troy_

She smiled and started to reply back.

Finn waved a hand in front of her face.

"Yes Finn."

"Who is it?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Come on Gabi tell me."

"If you must know it's Troy. He is coming down here."

"Oh is Chad coming with him?"

"I don't know call and ask." Finn pulled out his phone and called Troy.

"Hey man what's up?" Troy asked as he answered the phone.

"Nothing. Is Chad coming with you? Oh and do you know where Kurt is? Blaine wants to know."

"Yeah Chad got out of class also. And no I don't know where Kurt is. He is probably still in class."

"Ok." Finn told Troy where they were and he said he would be there shortly.

Blaine looked up at Gabriella and saw her mouth open.

He tapped her and she looked at him with her mouth hanging open and her face shocked and nervous.

"What?" He asked.

Without talking Gabriella signed to him. "Marlee Matlin is in here."

"No way that lady from celebrity apprentice!" Gabriella rolled her eyes at his comment and nodded.

"Yes. Oh my gosh. Should I say something to her? No I'll just stay here."

"Gabi go and talk to her." Blaine smiled.

"Ok I'm going."

"Ok we will be here."

Gabriella got up from her table and went to where she was sitting. She was alone. Gabriella tapped her on the shoulder. She looked up and smiled.

"Hi." She signed and spoke.

"Hi I'm Gabriella and I'm a big fan of you." She quickly signed back.

"You know sign language?"

"I'm deaf." By this time they had stopped talking and just signing. As they talked a little Gabriella's mind wasn't working as fast as it usually did. She wasn't trying to keep up with conversations and reading peoples lips. She knew sign language. It was like speaking English to her. It was easy. Being around people like herself wasn't as much work.

"Was she nice? I would like to meet her sometime. Although I couldn't keep up a conversation." Finn said as they walked back to their dorms.

"Yes she was very nice."

The three of them walked in silence for a few moments until Finn tapped Gabriella on the shoulder.

"Yes."

"Show us what it's like to be you."

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"I want to be you for one day. Tomorrow is Sunday and none of us have classes so lets get everyone together and be like you for one whole day." He turned to Blaine.

"Sounds good to me as long as its ok with everyone else."

All fourteen of them sat in the room they reserved the other day. It was eight in the morning and some were still yawning. Gabriella had thirteen pairs of head phones that were programmed to make a long beeping noise that only they could hear. Other than that they would have to rely on their skills on sign language and reading lips.

"Ok who wants to go first?" Gabriella asked.

"I want to." Mercedes said and she took the headphones from Gabriella's basket. Gabriella adjusted the volume so all she could hear was a loud beeping noise and nothing else.

"Ok Mercedes. Can you hear anything?" She signed. There was no use talking while she signed as of right now.

Mercedes looked confused for a second trying to make out what Gabriella had said.

"No I can't hear a thing." The beeping in her ears made her want to yell. It was like an instinct. To yell so they could hear her over the beeping. Everyone else covered their ears at her yelling.

"Mercedes stop yelling it won't help anything." Gabriella signed.

Eventually after scrunched up faces trying to figure out the hand motions, the group had gotten a little adjusted to not hearing.

"Gabi are we just going to sit here in a café room all day?" Sharpay asked a little later.

"No. If all my friends are like me for a day you are getting the full experience." Gabriella stood up and everyone followed her. They went outside to the busy New York streets. The noises of the honking horns and the people chattering was gone. They couldn't hear any of it. It was as if they were all in a dead silent room.

Rachel looked at Gabriella. This is what she heard everyday, absolutely nothing.

"Do any of you want a hot dog?" Gabriella signed.

All of the group raised their hands. Gabriella counted how many there was to get then turned to them.

"You guys can go wherever you want just put your phones on vibrate and in your pocket so you can hear it." With that she walked away and to the hot dog stand.

Although Gabriella said they could go somewhere they all felt the need to stay together. It was scary not being able to hear. And they all stayed close together, because for the moment they wanted someone like them, someone who was deaf and understood them.

"Gabi how do you do that everyday?" Sharpay asked the next day in the same room at the café.

"Do what?"

"Not hear anything."

Gabriella thought for a moment before answering. "I was born deaf so I guess I have become accustomed to not hearing. Yes, there is a lot to miss out on but at least I can see. And I do very well at keeping up most of the time so, in the end, it all works."

"Rachel where in the world are you!" Sharpay hissed into the phone. It was three weeks later and everyone was getting together that night for dinner.

"I'm at panera. I'm having lunch with Kurt, Taylor, and Kelsi. Where are you?"

"I thought we were going to practice our music today for the audition."

"We are but I need to eat lunch first."

"Ok com by my dorm when your finished."

"Bye Sharpay."

"Bye."

"Sharpay and I still have to go shopping. She has decided to let me pick out some outfits that aren't pink." Kurt said when they started talking again.

"I bet you will be shopping for hours." Taylor said.

"Yes but I love shopping." Kurt told her matter-a-factly.

"Yes especially when it's for someone else." Rachel told him remembering the time he dragged her to the mall in high school.

"Definitely."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Finn woke up to the sun streaming in through the window. He looked at his alarm clock. 7:55.

"Dammit." He cursed under his breath. He had exactly five minutes to take a shower, get dressed, and get to class.

He jumped out of bed and looked around the room. There was a note on the coffee table. It was from Troy.

_Hey man. Umm… Chad and I went to go shoot some hoops because we have class tonight. Come and join us after you get out. We are in the gym._

_See ya later._

_-Troy_

He crumpled up the note and threw it in the trash. He jumped in the shower, put on some clothes, and ran out with his backpack. He was halfway to his class when he actually stopped to feel the weight of the bag. It felt extremely light. He opened it and all there was was a notebook. He had left his books in the dorm room. _Could this day get any worse?_, he thought.

He went to his dorm after class to drop off his things and change into a t-shirt and basketball shorts. He was taking his shirt off of the hanger when there was a knock on the door. He threw his shirt on the bed and went to open the door.

"Hi Finn." Rachel smiled up at him.

"Hey Rach. What's up?" She didn't answer. She was to busy looking at his attire.

"Your not wearing _that_ are you?"

"Well yeah, I'm going to go play basketball with Chad and Troy."

"Finn did you not get my text message?"

"No." They entered the dorm room and he went to his backpack. He pulled out his phone. Sure enough there was a text message from Rachel. God. Why could he not do anything right today?

"Well?"

"I was in class sorry." He read the text.

_Hey Finn__J__ ,_

_There is a play for these little kids that are taking summer classes at the local community college for drama. I'll come by when you get out of class to get you. Wear some jeans and a nice shirt. _

_Love you, _

_-Rachel._

Crap.

He turned around to face Rachel who was in a nice summer dress.

"Go change and we'll go." She said.

"Rach I can't I told Troy and Chad that I was going to play basketball with them. And I didn't get your text. I didn't hear it." Her smile dropped from her face but he could tell that she was totally pissed at him.

"Listen Finn. I sent you the text message, it doesn't matter if you heard it or not, you can always play basketball with Troy and Chad. This is a once in a lifetime chance to see kids living their dreams."

"Rach it is a community production. Why don't you go and tape it for me and I'll watch it later."

"Ok I'll be outside in the lobby for five minutes. If your not down there by then then you go and find yourself some slutty girl on the basketball court to fill my place in your life." With that she stormed out of the room. Finn let out a groan.

"I think I am going to shoot myself before I get out of college." He mumbled to himself. He went to his closet and picked out a pair of jeans and a button down shirt. Damn Rachel.

He picked up his phone and called Troy.

"Hello?"

"Troy sorry man but I'm going to have to skip basketball today. Rachel is making me go to this community play thing."

"It's ok. Have fun. Tell Rachel I said hi."

"Ok. Bye."

"See ya."

Rachel led him into the theatre and they found seats in the second row. Before he could blink as he sat down the play started. It was the Wizard of Oz.

A ten-year-old girl appeared on stage in the same gingham dress the original Dorothy had. The only problem was it was way to long for her. She had brown hair which was not correct. Yet the thing he couldn't stop staring at was her lazy eye and buck teeth. As she said her first line walking across the stage she tripped over her dress. He had one arm over the back of Rachel's chair. He got comfortable; this was going to be a long play.

As the first appearance of Toto was made he thought his mouth would drop to the floor. There on the stage on all fours was a four year boy. _Oh My God you have got to be kidding me, _He thought. But it can only get better right?

Wrong.

As Dorothy walked down the yellow brick road and met the scarecrow he thought he was going to yell at someone when he saw it was a dog in a scarecrow costume. A Chihuahua. God he hated Chihuahuas.

The rest of the actors were also dogs. As Dorothy, the tin man, the scarecrow and the lion all gathered in a line on the stage Dorothy tripped over her dress making her fall over and land on the tin man dog. He sighed eternally. He gave up a day of playing basketball for this? The dogs started barking and the lion ran off the stage.

The four year old boy must have had a short attention span because he got out of the basket Dorothy had set down and ran down the stairs to his mom in the crowd. Could this play get any worse?

His question was answered as one of the teachers came on stage to get the scarecrow off of Dorothy who was biting her. Dorothy was yelling at the dog to stop biting her but it didn't seem to help much.

When everyone was off the stage and the crappy play was completely over Finn just stared wide eyed at the closed red curtain. No parent could tell their child that they did great. Would someone really lie to their child?

"Wasn't that amazing?" His thoughts were interrupted by Rachel's voice.

He thought of the right answer. "Yeah it was awesome."

"I'm glad you liked it because there is another one next September."

"Great." He said as he faked a smile.

"Gabs I'm positive." Taylor told Gabriella as they sat on her bed.

"And your sure it was Troy."

"Yes."

"But why would he be kissing another girl?"

"I don't know but there's only one way to find out."

She knocked on the door two times. And eventually it opened to reveal Finn.

"Hey Gabi. Why are you here?" He asked her.

"I'm here to see Troy where is he?"

"On his bed. I'm going to go find Rachel." He said as he stepped out of the room and Gabriella closed the door behind him. She wasn't going to talk. All she was going to use was sign language. Fierce sign language.

She walked into the room and sure enough found Troy with his laptop on his lap sitting on his bed. He looked up as he heard her footsteps.

"Oh hey Gabs. What are you doing here?" He pushed his laptop to the side and got up from the bed. Though he saw her looking around the room for something instead of at his lips. So he knew she didn't hear him. He tapped her shoulder and she looked at his face. Her eyes were not focused on his, they were focused on his mouth. So he began to speak.

"I asked what you were doing here Gabs. What's up?"

"Do you have something you need to tell me Troy?" She signed.

"No do you have something you need to tell me?" He signed back as he furrowed his eyebrows.

"What did you do today?"

"I went to class. I came back to the dorm to change then went to the basketball court. Then I came back to take a shower and here you are."

"Troy did you meet anyone at the park?" She saw Troy's usually calm face turn worried.

"Yes. She was my girlfriend freshman year of high school. We bumped into each other. And we decided to go get some ice cream and catch up. Then she kissed me. I told her that I had a girlfriend but she didn't seem to notice what I had said."

"When were you planning on telling me this?"

"Never. You were never supposed to know. How did you find out?"

"It doesn't matter how I found out. What matters is that you kissed another girl that isn't me."

"I'm sorry but I tried to stop it."

"Apparently you didn't try hard enough."

"I know your mad Gabi but you have to understand that-"

"That what?"

"I don't know. I am trying to explain why it happened but I can't Gabriella."

"Maybe you can figure it out better alone."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"We are broken up. That's what it means." And with that Gabriella walked out of his dorm.

"Finn guess what?" Rachel told him as they walked along the river.

"You are the best signer in the class."

"No. The teacher said I was good and is giving me an audition on Broadway. _Broadway_! Can you believe it Finn. I'll get to live out my dream."

"I can believe it Rach. I have always believed it."

This was the day. The day Rachel Berry was going to be a star. She was auditioning. And she was ready. Finn was going to meet her in the park after she knew if she got the role. Which she already knew she would.

They called her name, she sang her heart out, and now she was just waiting for the callback list. After what seemed like forever a short grey haired man walked out with a piece of paper and posted it on the bulletin board.

Rachel was the first to approach it.

Called Back:

Margret Anderson

Pamela Jackson

Sarah Duke

Alyssa Baxter

She reread the list five times. There had to be some mistake. One of the people she auditioned for walked out of a door. Rachel ran up to him.

"Sir I auditioned a minute ago and it seems there has been a mistake."

"What seems to be the mistake?"

"Well my name is not on that list."

"What is your name?"

"Rachel Berry."

The man looked down at a piece of paper in his hands then looked back up at Rachel.

"That is no mistake Miss. You did not get called back." At that he walked out of the building with his piece of paper. The piece of paper that had confirmed her failure.

She sat at the bench in the park. She looked at the sky and made shapes out of the clouds. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around.

"Hey how did it go?" Finn immediately regretted his words as he saw tears form in Rachel's eyes.

"It went horrible. I didn't make it. I thought it was a mistake Finn, but it wasn't, they were serious. I am a failure as a signer."

"Rach your going to have another shot. Your going to make it the next time you audition."

She smiled up at him and hugged him tight.

"Thanks Finn."

"I love you Rachel."

"I love you to Finn." And with that she kissed him.


End file.
